Anthurium Hookeri

Anthurium Hookeri Care Tips & Growing Guide 2023!

Despite being less popular, Anthurium hookeri is a special plant that you will love to have in your home. Also known as “Bird Nest Anthurium”, these tropical plants thrive in moist soil. Often referred as as a natural air cleanser. They also grow well when you expose them to bright, indirect sunlight.

Interestingly, the Anthurium hookeri plants also grow white berries, which is one of the ways to identify them. That’s how they got the nickname “bird nest hookeri”—because of the shape of these berries.

One of the amazing qualities of the Anthurium hookeri plants is that they are epiphytic. In other words, these tropical plants can grow without soil. Sometimes, they grow on trees, and they may also grow on other plants.

Due to the rare qualities and beauty of the Anthurium hookeri, you may want to plant them in your garden. Understand that they require extra care and attention because they are not like regular household plants.

In this article, we will provide a full explanation of how to care for the Anthurium hookeri plant.

Get comfortable and keep on reading!

How To Care For Anthurium Hookeri Plants (9 Tips) 

1. Use the Right Pot

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Avoid planting your Anthurium hookeri in pots with no drainage holes under them. When you use pots with holes, it will be easy to see whether the plant roots fit into the pots or not. You can place the Anthurium hookeri in a bigger pot, which will make it grow perfectly.

Also, consider placing the plant outdoors if possible. When inside, your Anthurium hookeri’s growth may be slow. Remember to change the pots every three years so that these plants can get the necessary nutrients and remain healthy. 

Try not to remove the plants forcefully when you move them from one pot to another so you don’t hurt their roots.

2. Create A Schedule For Watering

To grow healthily, Anthurium hookeri needs to be in a moist environment. So create a schedule to water them once or twice every week. 

While watering these plants, do not go overboard. Overwatering Anthurium hookeri can result in root rot because oxygen will not be able to get to the roots.

On the other hand, don’t underwater the plants. Not only will they grow slowly, but the plants may also die. Dehydration makes its leaves turn brown and droop.

Practice moderation when watering your Anthurium hookeri to keep them healthy.

3. Use The Right Type Of Soil

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A moist or well-drained soil creates a balanced environment for Anthurium hookeri. While moist soil retains enough water for the plant, well-drained soil prevents too much or too little water.

So, instead of settling beneath the soil, moist or well-drained soil allows easy water movement.

To improve aeration and drainage, you can buy a commercial potting mix and add some perlite to it. But if you want to save money, you can make the potting mix at home.

 4. Keep Away From Direct Sunlight

Anthurium hookeri thrives in bright light but dislikes direct sunlight. That’s why, in tropical forests, these plants always grow under bigger plants. So, if you will be keeping the plants outdoors, keep them away from direct sunlight.

Consider keeping the plants in the shade outdoors or keep them indoors.

But do not place Anthurium hookeri in areas with little or no light, as it can prevent their flowers from growing. 

Therefore, if there is not enough natural light in your home, you can use artificial light. Still, do not keep the light directly in front of the plant to prevent burning the leaves.

5. Apply Fertilizers

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One of the ways to care for Anthurium hookeri is by adding fertilizer to it at least once a month. However, if you have a fully grown plant, you can fertilize it every four months.

When buying fertilizers for Anthurium hookeri, avoid the strong ones as they may cause problems in the roots. Also, choose the ones that are rich in phosphorus. It will help build strong stems, improve flower formation and ensure root development.

6. Keep It At Ideal Temperatures

Most tropical plants, including Anthurium hookeri, cannot tolerate cold temperatures. This is because they are used to being in sunny environments every year. 

Hence, it is best to keep your Anthurium hookeri in an environment with temperatures between 68 and 86° Fahrenheit.

When the winter months are drawing near, keep the plants indoors, preferably. In addition, try to prevent frost from forming on the plants’ leaves.

7. Pruning

As with other household plants, Anthurium hookeri needs pruning to stay in shape. When you notice dead or old leaves on the plant, cut or remove them. Since the plants are low-maintenance, you wouldn’t have to prune them regularly.

8. Pest Control

Some of the common pests that attack Anthurium hookeri are mealybugs, spider mites, aphids, scale insects, and sucking insects. Lack of adequate care or stress tends to increase the plant’s chances of being attacked. 

Take quick action once you notice pests are feeding on these plants. Failure to get rid of the pests fast enough will cause your plant to lose essential nutrients and moisture.

Use insecticides or neem oil to ward off pests from the plant.

9. Prevent Diseases

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Anthurium hookeri can be exposed to diseases such as bacterial wilt, root rot, and bacterial blight. To prevent root rot, avoid adding too much water to the soil. Be careful while pruning the plant to prevent bacterial infection.

Also, remember to fertilize the plant at the right time and maintain good hygiene. Furthermore, remove all infected parts of the plants as quickly as possible to prevent the disease from spreading to the healthy parts.

Learn more from another post: Do Cacti Like Coffee Grounds?

Final Thoughts

Having Anthurium hookeri in your home can earn you compliments from friends and neighbors. Not only are these plants beautiful when you give them adequate attention, but they are also uncommon.

With the tips in this article, we are sure you can now care for your Anthurium hookeri easily. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Invest your time and effort into maintaining the plant and it will add more beauty to your home environment.

Can I Put My Anthurium Outside?

Yes, you can put your Anthurium outdoors if the environment is favorable for them to grow. Like other tropical plants, Anthurium hookeri thrives in warm temperatures. If the weather is not too cold outside, you can place the plant there. 

Just make sure you keep it out of direct sunlight, and at night, take the plant indoors.

When Should I Repot Anthurium?

Anthurium should be repotted when they no longer fit in their current pot, or at least every two years. Better still, when your Anthurium is around 20 inches tall, it’s time to change the pot to a bigger one.

Remove all dead leaves and flowers from the plant before repotting it. Keep on watering the Anthurium in the new pot until fresh leaves begin to grow. 

Where Is The Best Place To Put An Anthurium?

Anthurium hookeri grows well in bright environments but not in places with direct sunlight. They also do not produce many flowers in dark places, which means you need to create a balance. 

Another great place to put Anthurium is moist or well-draining soil. Therefore, make sure you do not allow the soil to get dry before adding water to it. On the other hand, do not pour excess water on the plant to prevent root rot.

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